Melbourne – Australia F4 Future Event Finalist

Hi, This was a great week for me, making my first final in a Future event here in Australia. Playing on the clay was especially great for me as I have had great success of my favourite surface next to hard court. Please read Marc McGowan’s story on my event. A great written article, thanks Marc

MAIDEN finalist Blake Mott revealed after today’s Melbourne Park Claycourt International decider he considered not even playing the event. Mott, 17, did not lose a set in making the final, but went down 6-3 6-2 to an inspired Alex Bolt once he got there. He has had a tough year, including battling homesickness and sustaining a severely sprained left ankle while leading eventual finalist Stefan Kozlov in the Australian Junior Open. Mott spent a month out with the injury and lost three of his five matches once he returned before this week. “The whole year has been a real struggle with injuries and off-court issues,” he said. “It’s all about working your way through it and I even contemplated maybe not even playing it, but, obviously, I’m glad I did.” Mott, from New South Wales, lives and trains in Melbourne and admitted he missed home and everything that comes with it. “I sometimes get a bit homesick and you miss your family, because I live down here and don’t always see them,” he said. “It’s a bit of a tough life sometimes and that’s how it is. You’ve got to keep battling through it and I’ve got a team around me to help me. “The most important thing is to be happy. If I’m happy on court then the result speaks for itself.” Mott said reaching the final was a timely boost ahead of one last Australian tournament next week at Glen Iris before an extended overseas campaign. “It’s definitely good getting rewarded for your hard work,” he said. “It’s a bit disheartening if you put in a lot of hard work and don’t get the results, but your team always tells you it’s going to happen and sometimes it happens when you least expect it. “That was the situation for me this week, so I think it’s important to take away when things are tough you can get through them. “There’s light at the end of the tunnel and that’s important for me.” Mott, a mature, well-spoken young man, was keen to recognise the effort of Melbourne Park Claycourt International organisers, particularly tournament supervisor Scott Ray. “They always put on a good event here,” he said. “Scotty and everyone always make it really good and easy for us. “Scotty is always supportive of what you need if you are requesting certain things and that’s something we have here that is special.” Today’s final appearance continues Mott’s emergence in senior ranks, which went up a notch from September last year in Cairns. He made the quarter-finals there and reached the same stage at the Sydney International and Melbourne ATP Challenger. Among Mott’s victims in that period were Luke Saville (twice), Nick Kyrgios and Jordan Thompson.